Helmet



Sept. 26; 1933. F W|L| SQN Er AL 1.928,238

HELMET Filed OCb. 12, l1932 EEdl'ck M///S 0n Snventow "w Harry 7'" ,Shin dei v attorney Patented Sept. 26, 1933 HELMET Frederick Willson, Berne Township, Berks County, and Harry F. Shindel, Reading, Pa., assignors to Willson Products, Inc., Reading, Fa., a corporation of Pennsylvania Application October 12, 1932. Serial No. 637,406

' 11 Claims.

This invention relates to protective helmets and particularly to that type of helmet which is worn by persons engaged in industrial occupations requiring protection against dust or flying particles such as abrasives employed in cleaning castings etc.

Helmets of this type ordinarily have an exterior surface of leather or the like which under the impact of rebounding abrasive particles becomes worn and oftentimes ripped and torn. Helmets have also been made of sheet metal in an attempt to reduce such destruction of the helmets but when so made are cumbersome Yand heavy and there is excessive reverberation within lthe helmet resulting from contact by rebounding abrasives. It is an object of the invention to provide a helmet of light construction in which wear by re- -bounding particles is substantially reduced and in which reverberation within the helmet is materially lessened.

Helmets of the type under consideration ordinarily are provided with collar like rings of ilexible material, such as lambs Wool or fur, secured interiorly and circumferentially of the helmet and adapted to iit closely about the neck of the wearer to prevent the escape of air or oxygen supplied for breathing and to assist in excluding dust. In donning and removing a helmet the latter is drawn over the head of the wearer which thus contacts the collar and such contact, as well as contact of the collar against other portions of the wearers body, results in the collar becoming soiled and unsanitary. Heretofore, such collars have been permanently attached to the helmet and when soiled have usually remained in such condition as their cleansing could not readily be accomplished in situ and their removal for cleansing is, diflicult if not impracticable. It is desirable that such collars may be cleansed and therefore it is an object of our invention to provide a collar which may be readily removed from and replaced in the helmet. f

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent upon consideration of the fol- 4571owing description and appended claims when read in conjunction with the drawing in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective` view of a helmet embodying the invention;

Figure 2 is a partial sectional view illustrating the attaching means for the collar. Y

Figure 3 is an enlarged view of the ends `of an attaching device associated with theV afore-mentioned collar;

Figure 4 is an enlarged and'exaggerated sectional view through the wall of the helmet to i1- lustrate its integral and homogeneous construction; f

Figure 5 is a cross-sectional view takenthrough the lower part of the helmet and shows the an- 50 nular neck-encircling collar; and

or top-piece ll, both of metallic mesh work 12,

as indicated in Figs. 2 and e, enclosed within a low-abrading shell 13 formed by depositing rubber upon the mesh work to coatthe surfaces and iill the interstices of the foraminous form, thereby providing an integral and homogeneous hood. i

The top-piece l1 and strap attaching fittings 14, lens-iitting etc. are secured to the casing 10 as by welding and also become encased within the rubber or composition shell.

The lower end oi the helmet has `front and rear extensions l5, 16, with places for the shoulders vcut out between them and in order that the lower portion of the helmet may conform more closely to the body of the wearer for excluding dust a strip of ibrous material such as lambs wool may be secured to the loweredges of the casing. Straps 18 attached to the iittings 14 are provided for drawing the helmet tightly against the body of the wearer.

To prevent excessive escape from the helmet of air or oxygen 'supplied to the wearer for breathing and also to assistin excluding dust `a neck encircling collar 20 is provided. The collar 20 comprises an annulus of suitable flexible fibrous material, such as fur or lambs wool, and adjacent the opening 21 thereof is provided with an elastic member 22'enabling the helmet to be put on or taken off without diiiiculty Yand adapted to draw the collartightly about the neck of the wearer.

t or adjacent the periphery of the ,annular collar a hem 23 is formed'which acts as a keeper for a split ring 24 adapted to be expanded into a groove 25 formed circumferentially of the helmet casing for detachably securing Ythe collar 20 thereto. In the arrangement shown inFigs. 2 and 3 the opposed ends of the rings are provided with lugs 26 projecting through an opening in hem 23 and having reversely threaded bores receiving a threaded screw member 27 operable to expand the ring for engagement with the helmet groove or to contract it to enable ready detachment of the collar from the helmet.

It may be noted that inasmuch as the retaining ring 24 binds the peripheral edge of collar 20 Vagainst the groove 25 in the helmet wallA a seal is thus provided at the abutting portions of the collar and hood between the breathing chamber and the lower part of the helmet which, in conjunction with the drawing of the collar about the wearers neck by member 22, substantially' pre- .the helmet interiorly thereof. band is spacedfrom'the adjacent Wall' of the helmet to receive a retaining ring 32 carried by collar 20 and the band 30 is also preferably resilventsV undesired escape of breathing air or oxygen from the helmet. Other forms of" attaching devices may beY provided inl which a plurality of complementary cooperating fasteners'are mount-V ed on the hood interiorly of the helmet and on However, in the embodiments illus" trated in Figures 6 and 7 the above noted. sealing the collar.

function is also retained, preferably by making the attaching devices on the helmet and hood ient so as to securely hold the ring 32 against the helmet for attaching the collar.

In the embodiment illustrated in Figure 7, aY 'circular band 33 is fastened circumferentially to the helmet and has a portion 34 spaced from the .helmet wall to form a pocket inivhich a similar band. 35 secured to or adjacent the exterior peripheraledge of the collary may be inserted to attachthe collar. IThe bands 34, 35 vbe oi fibrous materialsuch as lambs wool or urarranged with the hairs or wool on their contacting on attaching the collar to the helmet, thus accentuatingthe seal resulting from their coextensiv'e cooperating engagement.

lFrom the above description it maybe seen that rthe Ahelmet is of light construction and its eX- posed surfaces are less susceptible to wear or destructionA by abrasives than inA previous constructions. 'Furthen inasmuch as the helmet coating' is o'f rubber, ora composition, and the various ttings are covered thereby the helmet is without joints or'seams and in this respect is air tight.

[The arrangement' for vdeta'chably mounting the neck-encircling collar renders it possible to easily and quickly remove the la ter kior cleaning'and thereby maintain the helmet sanitary. This also ,permits the use of a single helmet by several workmen each ofvwhom may have his own neck collar thus further improving working conditions 'Although illustrative.embodiments of the invention have been described in detailthere are many changes and variations-which may be made without departing from the spirit andprinciples oi' ythe-invention and therefore it is intended to include .all such changes and variations AWithin the scope of the appended claims.

Whatv we claim is: y

.1. A-headprotectinghelmet havinga'head enclosing hoodprovided with a neck encircling collar; collar retaining means extending circumferentially'and interiorlyr of saidhoodyand means carriedl by said collar and detachably engageable with said retaining. means for securing said collar to said hood. .f2."In aheadprotecting helmet comprising a head enclosing hood yprovided with a neck encircling collar; means. for detachably securing said collar to'said hood comprising, means securedto the interior` of said hood and'spaced in partlfrom the interior suriaceof the Wall there of; and means 'carried' by said collar4 and'engageable with said means for attaching said collar to said hood. Y f3. In ahead .protecting helmet .comprising` a 'from a sanitary view point.

a circumferential L 'cove formed head enclosing hood provided with a neck encircling collar; means for detachably4 securing collar to said'hood comprising a circular attaching band secured interiorly of said hood and spaced in part therefrom, and a retaining member carried by said collar and insertable between said hood and the spaced portion of said band for attaching said collar to said hood.

4. In a' headprotecting helmet comprising a head enclosing hood provided with a neck encircling collar; means for detachably securing said collar to said hood comprising resilient means -Isecuredv to Vthe interior of said hood and spaced in part therefrom, and means carried by said collar' and engageable between said resilient means A portion 5 1 oi and said hood-for attaching said'collar thereto. .g 5. ln head protecting helmet comprising a bead enclosing hood provided with a neck encling collar; means for detachably securing said collar to said hood comprising a retaining ring carried bT said collar, and a resilient attaching band secured interiorly and'circumferentially hood` and spaced in part therefrom to receive said retaining ring and bind the latter against said hood to attachy said collar thereto.

, head-protecting helmet comprising a subst-an ily cylindrical rhead enclosing hood provided with a flexible annular neck encircling collar having i exterior periphery substantially equal to theinterior-circumference of said hood; .portions so' that the hairsv become interengaged l for detachably securing said collar to said hood comprising, cooperating attachingmembers carried by said hood and collar, members being coex'tensive with rthe abutting portions of ed hood and coilar to for-rn a seal therebetween.

f?. i head protecting lhelmet comprising a substantiaily cylindrical Ahead enclosing hood having Y the interior Wall thereof an annular neel; encircling infirmer; and means associated with the exterior pe edge of said member cooperating said groove lior securing said member tosaid hood.

"i head protecting helmet c mprising a substan lly cylindrical'head enclosing hood having a circumferential groove formed inthe interior wail poi; Ya il ble, annular neck encircling member having VVa hem formed therein; and lmeans in tid hem coopF 'a' ng with said groove for securing said'membel to said'hood.

9. Ahead protecting helmet comprising a substantially cylindrical head enclosing hood having a circui fore al grooveyiormed in the interior wall thereof; annular neck encircling mem- .ber of exible Vmaterial having a hem formed therein.; and an expe-.risible ring in said hem and adapted to seat in said groove for detachably securing said member to said hood.

lo. A head protecting helmet comprising a substantially cylindrical head enclosing hood having a circumferential groove formed in the interior wall thereof; an 'annular neck encircling member oi'exibiematerial; Aa hem adjacent the exterior edge of said member; an expansible ring in said hem adaptedto seat in said/groove; and means associated with said ring iore'xpanding they latter tosecurely fasten saidmember to said hood.

11. A head protecting helmet comprising a substantially cylindrical metallic head-enclosing member; a 'substantially dome-shaped metallic top piece welded to said mcmber;and coatings of low-abrading material on the exterior surfac'e's'of said top piece andmember.

' FREDERICKv WILLSON.

`HARRY F. SHINDEL.

ipheral 

